Beautiful
by Casy Dee
Summary: Alice and Hatter decide that they are ready to have a baby...are they? And when is life ever that simple... One-shot.


**A/N: Well, with all the clamoring for a baby Hatter fic I ended up writing this little one-shot story. **

**It is set in the future of my fics 'Always' and 'Forever', but I don't think you need to read them in order to appreciate this. And I hope you do…**

**Oh gosh, I'm so nervous!!! I really do hope you like it.**

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Beautiful

Hatter and Alice had both agreed that they would wait to have children. They wanted to be better established; Hatter was adamant that they would not have to be in a position to worry if they could buy enough food or clothing or any of the other things that having a child entailed in costs. He had grown up with so little; Alice understood it. She understood it and seconded it. Alice didn't want to try to go to school and take care of a little baby at the same time, and Hatter had insisted that he would want to have enough help at the tea shop so he could spend as much time as he liked with his family. She also wanted time with her Hatter before she had to share him, she was just that way.

They were agreed, united as a couple on the plan. Children would wait until they were ready. The small tea shop they ran together had blossomed into a successful business. It was one of _the_ spots one had to visit in New York…specifically the Saturday afternoon cream tea. It had become something that had to be booked months in advance…although Hatter always left a couple of tables empty for a regular customer of his choice to take on that day. Alice thought it was so popular because it was Hatter's _thing._ He was the draw…and seeing him charm and flirt and perform for the customers it was no wonder that they vied for a chance to share him. But he belonged to Alice, through and through.

They loved their little flat above the tea shop, but when the business was doing so well and the closets were just so small (Hatter _did_ love to shop) they considered upgrading to a bigger home. They wanted to stay close to the shop and the dojo, but real estate was _expensive_ in the city. After months of fruitless searching, Carol had announced that she was selling them the converted warehouse because she was moving to the suburbs; she was getting re-married.

Alice had taken the news much better than any of them thought she would, to include Alice herself.

Hatter and Alice moved into the much larger space and were content that they had finally got to a comfortable, secure place. One evening over their tea, while having a particularly silly question and answer session Alice asked a not so silly question.

"Are you ready to try for a baby?" She asked him softly.

He had almost fallen off of the couch, but that was the only similarity in reaction from three years before when she had first broached the subject.

Hatter's eyes softened and began to shine. He swallowed hard and tried to speak past the hard lump in his throat. Emotions flowed over his face like water in rapid succession, too fast for Alice to separate or to follow. She saw him struggle to speak, close his eyes and draw in a deep breath and exhale. When he opened them a moment later, he was calmer.

"You are ready?" He managed to get out.

"I think so." She answered softly.

"You want to have my baby?" He asked, awestruck.

She could only nod; she had a hard lump in her throat as well.

He crushed her to him in a tight embrace. A sob escaped him, and then another. He had wanted this so badly, and he had been afraid that it would never be the right time. He had kissed her face all over, and then kissed her deeply through their intermingled tears. Alice was a miracle.

Alice had gone off of her birth control, and they waited. Their desire for one another had yet to wane, so Alice figured it was only a matter of time until she got pregnant. The first month of 'trying' they had been sure to 'try' every day. After three months, Alice wasn't concerned that she still wasn't pregnant, although Hatter was. After six months, she begun to buy the little test kits for ovulation and peed on a stick at regular intervals. After nine months, the ever practical Alice ordered the ovulation test strips in bulk off of the internet.

Hatter told her he was happy just to have Alice, baby or no. He said they had a good life, and they had lots of fun together and it was alright if they didn't have a baby. He said these things to her, and she knew he was trying very hard to mean them. There was a certain sadness to him now, one that hadn't been there before. She thought about adopting…but she wanted _Hatter's_ baby. Together…a little piece of him and her.

If she was honest with herself…there was a sadness in her too. Erica was pregnant…and Jaline from the dojo. She'd had to take over Jaline's lessons. It stung. She had to smile and be happy for them, and she was so…_angry._ Yes, she was angry. She wanted this. And if her mother asked her about grandchildren again she would _choke_ her. If one more well meaning person told them they were such a cute couple and asked if they had kids…

After a year, Hatter had asked about getting checked out by a doctor. He was worried that it had something to do with him being a Wonderlandian. They couldn't exactly just up and say that he was from an alternate plane so they may not be genetically compatible. Alien or not, he got checked out and he appeared to be perfectly normal. A little _too_ perfect actually…but that could be explained away by test variables and margins of error.

Alice got checked out next. It was horrible and invasive and embarrassing all at once…and they wouldn't let anyone in the room during the procedure. Hatter had been so upset that she thought he was going to get them thrown out of the hospital. In the end he relented because she asked him to. It turned out that Alice had a blocked fallopian tube, and what's more…she didn't appear to be ovulating regularly. There were shots and medication she could try.

It was expensive, but she did it. Another year passed and they dropped the treatments. The considered some of the other options, but after Hatter listened to the descriptions of what that would entail, he had paled and said no. He was happy with it just him and Alice. He didn't want her to go through that. What she had been through already was too much in his mind.

By the next year they had moved on to acceptance. They _were_ happy together, just as they were. They talked about getting a cat, maybe two. The business was still doing well and they had settled into their home like they had always been there. Still…they would pass by a couple with a baby, or with young kids and Hatter's face would turn wistful. It about killed Alice. She would give him anything…but she couldn't give him this.

They still hated to be apart from one another, but sometimes it couldn't be helped. Alice had to go to a tournament in Florida. One of her students was competing in a national championship and she had to be there. Hatter usually traveled with her, but he was negotiating a rather delicate offer for an expansion to the tea shop and he couldn't leave. They hated to be apart…even for a day, but there was no help for it.

She returned a week later, and Hatter had welcomed her back in every horizontal (and vertical too, come to think of it) surface of their home. He had missed her desperately, and he swore that he was going with her next time, no matter what. Alice didn't argue, for once. The next two weeks were spent making up for lost time.

Two months later, Alice began wondering when her last period was. She didn't want to give Hatter false hope, so she stayed silent. She rummaged through the cupboard and finally found what she was looking for. The ovulation kits she had ordered always came with a pregnancy test. She found one, read the directions nervously and peed on the stick. The test was expired, but she would go buy a new one if it was positive.

It was positive. Oh god. It was positive.

She wrapped the test up and shoved it in the back of the cabinet so Hatter wouldn't see. Alice tapped into her skills as the High Priestess of Google and read about the accuracy of expired pregnancy tests. It turned out that they were pretty damn accurate, if they were positive.

Hatter watched Alice curiously. She had been strangely pale and silent the last half hour or so. She had gone into the loo three times…he hoped she had not taken ill.

"Alice, love? Are you alright?" He asked, his deep brown eyes concerned.

She nodded, but he wasn't convinced. His brow furrowed deeper.

"What is it?" He asked insistently.

"We need to go to the store. Now." She said in a rush, before she lost her nerve.

"What? Why? It is almost midnight." he replied, confused.

"I need a pregnancy test…" She admitted.

Hope lit up his eyes, but she saw him temper it with a dose of reality. He would wait for the test before he got his hopes up too much.

He nodded. "Okay. Okay. Yes. Okay…let's go."

"Hatter…" Alice said.

"Yeah?" He replied.

"You need shoes." She smiled.

They had bought the test, came home and again, Alice peed on the stick.

She walked out of the bathroom. Hatter was flipping his hat around…his version of a nervous tic. When he saw her face he dropped the hat.

She smiled through her tears. "We did it. You're going to be a Daddy."

"Me? A father?"He choked out.

He crushed her to him, holding her like she was the most precious thing in the universe. Tears of joy ran down his face and then he pulled back to look her in the face.

"I'm really scared!" He said incredulously.

"Me too." She admitted.

As much as they had been through together, Alice knew that they could handle this. They could be parents. They were ready.

Hatter was so cute about her pregnancy. He told her he thought she was sexier than ever, the most beautiful woman alive. He took a picture of her every week. He laid his head on her belly to listen to the baby move; he rubbed her belly every night as they lay down to sleep. Sweeter still…he sang to it; Alice didn't know he had such a nice voice. He sung lullabies from his own childhood, haunting and strange, but beautiful. He watched in awe as they say the baby on the computer monitor for the first time, heard the heartbeat for the first time. When they saw that it was a girl, he laughed out loud. A joyous rolling laugh that warmed Alice to the very center of her heart. They were going to have a little girl.

Hatter went overboard on the nursery. He went overboard on the clothes. He went overboard on the toys. Alice thought it was incredibly sweet of him…but then he started reading all the baby books and pregnancy development books and websites and he absorbed knowledge like a sponge. Unfortunately. Alice tried not to choke him… one cup of coffee would not hurt the baby.

When the time finally came, it was fast. Very fast. Alice had stayed fit throughout the pregnancy and she thought that it had something to do with it. They barely had time to get into the room, and they were lucky enough to get a doctor in the room in time to catch. No time to think…they couldn't even get an IV into her it was so fast. Alice decided it was a good thing, looking into Hatter's pale and absolutely terrified face. He was trying hard to be strong for her, but it killed him to see her in pain.

They told her to push and push hard…heart rate dropping. Baby had to be born NOW. The rest was a blur…she remembered fear, and Hatter's strong right hand holding hers so gently. His voice had gotten her through it.

Then it was over…she cried the squalling loud cry of a newborn.

She was checked and cleaned while Hatter watched nervously, and then they passed her to him. He looked so scared and awestruck and…happy.

Hatter held their daughter gently, kissed her forehead and passed her to Alice to hold for the first time. He let the tears fall. He had a family of his own. He had a daughter.

Later that evening, Hatter sat quietly beside Alice in the rocking chair by the bed, holding their little girl. Alice dozed while she had the chance…she was exhausted and sore but happy, and Hatter had the care of their daughter so she knew she could sleep.

He rocked her and sang softly, memorizing her little face. She already had a thick dark shock of hair, and his nose and mouth in miniature. The rest they would have to wait and see. He leaned in close to her and had the first of many conversations with his daughter.

"Hello little Emma. You are named after me own mum, you know. She would have loved you, too. I wish she could have seen you. Your mum and I waited a long time for you. I don't know much about being a father, but I promise I will be the best at it I can, okay?" He murmured.

Alice cracked open her eyes and smiled at the picture the two of them made. She stretched out her hand and brushed it over his cheek. Joy and fierce pride and happiness filled her.

"I love you both." She said softly.

When he looked up at her his lip trembled, but then he smiled blindingly bright.

"We made her together, love…isn't she beautiful?"

"Beautiful." She answered.

They were beautiful.

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A/N: OK so I was staring at the blank screen trying to work on one of the other two fics I have going…but I had an idea for this fic and the scene kept playing out over and over so I gave in and wrote it.

**I put a lot of heart into this, and I hope you like it. Please review if you do (or don't). Pretty please?**

**Am thinking of another one too…set when baby Emma is a little bit older. We'll see.**


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